Having survived a refugee camp in Vietnam as a child, Marine veteran Quan Nguyen is now helping Ukrainians flee the war-torn country amid Russia's invasion.
"I have empathy for any refugee, regardless of background, religion, politics, because I've lived in refugee camps," Nguyen, the founder of Task Force 824, told Sunday's "Fox & Friends Weekend."
"They suck. They're horrible. You've got rats, you've got disease, and I would not want anyone to go through it."
Nguyen's group is a nonprofit, helping the more than 3.3 million Ukrainians that have fled the country, according to the United Nations.
"It just makes me feel like with all the evil going on, there is a little bit chance of humanity," he told Fox News.
Nguyen has done military missions in war zones, but now he's on the mission to save lives, he added.
"I'm here purely on a humanitarian mission," Nguyen said. "I've done the kicking in doors.
"I've done the picking up a weapon, but I feel that, at this point in my life, I can make a bigger impact by working on the humanitarian side.
"I've got those logistical skills that I want to put to use."
Eric Mack ✉
Eric Mack has been a writer and editor at Newsmax since 2016. He is a 1998 Syracuse University journalism graduate and a New York Press Association award-winning writer.
© 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved.